Archives West Finding Aid
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Jerry Timmons photographs of the Tacoma Pantages Theater, 1981
Overview of the Collection
- Photographer
- Timmons, Jerry
- Title
- Jerry Timmons photographs of the Tacoma Pantages Theater
- Dates
- 1981 (inclusive)19811981
- Quantity
-
12 photographs (1 folder) ; 5 in x 7 in
12 negatives ; 4 in x 5 in - Collection Number
- PH1276
- Summary
- Twelve photographs by Tacoma photographer Jerry Timmons document the Tacoma Pantages Theater for submission with a Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS)
- Repository
-
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu - Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open to the public.
- Additional Reference Guides
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Benjamin Marcus Priteca (1889-1971) is best known for his work as the exclusive architect for the Pantages theater circuit during the 1910s and 1920s. B. Marcus Priteca was born in Glasgow, Scotland, of Eastern European Jewish heritage, and received his education in Edinburgh, Scotland. As a young student, he apprenticed with the director of the Royal College of Arts in Edinburgh, Robert McFarlane Cameron, from 1904 to 1909. Having taken classes in science and fine arts from both the Royal College of Arts and the Edinburgh University, he earned his Associate of the Royal College of Arts degree. As a graduating student, he was awarded several medals and a traveling scholarship which brought him to the Seattle Alaska-Yukon-Pacific-Exposition in 1909.
Following his arrival in Seattle, Priteca began working as a draftsman for E. W. Houghton. He met Alexander Pantages in 1910 and became the exclusive architect for the Pantages theater circuit through the 1910s and 1920s. The theaters were frequently combined as a theater and office block and featured Classical motifs. Priteca's first theaters in Seattle, the Palomar Theater, 1913-1915 (destroyed), and the Coliseum Theater, 1914-1916 (altered), were developed for Joseph Gottstein and the successful design led to a large number of theaters throughout the Pacific Northwest and California. In addition to his theaters, Priteca had several other notable projects in the Puget Sound area including the Bikur Cholim Synagogue (later, Langston Hughes Cultural Arts Center), the Sephardic Bikur Holim Synagoguge, the sanctuary at Temple de Hirsch Sinai, and the Longacres race track.
Priteca served as president of the Washington State chapter of the AIA in 1938. He was inducted as a Fellow of the AIA in 1951. At the time of his death in 1971, sixty major theaters and 150 other structures of importance had been attributed to him.
Historical BackgroundReturn to Top
The Tacoma Pantages Theater (Jones Building), designed by B. Marcus Priteca, is located at 901 and 909 Broadway in Tacoma, Washington. The building was commissioned by William Jones, who was a key figure in the shipping industry and wheat trade in the northwest. The theater opened its doors in January of 1919 and was created to serve as both an office building and vaudeville theater. The theater featured stylized Roman motifs and classical proportions and is considered an example of the Second Renaissance Revival style. The exterior of the building is largely unaltered, though the marquee has been modernized and the original Pantages sign, which once projected from the corner of Ninth and Broadway, has been replaced. The steep grade on Ninth Street allowed for large rehearsal and storage areas below the auditorium level. The Tacoma Pantages Theater is the earliest extant example of B. Marcus Priteca's theater-office designs for Alexander Pantages. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Twelve photographs by Tacoma photographer Jerry Timmons document the interior and exterior of the Tacoma Pantages Theater. These photographs were prepared for submission with Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. WA-151 in 1981, though they were not part of the final submission.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The photographer's original order has been maintained.
Custodial History
These items were included with research materials donated by the Cultural Resources Division of the National Park Service.
Acquisition Information
Donor: Stephanie Toothman, July 11, 1984.
Processing Note
Processed by Kelly Daviduke, 2014.
Transferred from Washington state HABS/HAER nomination materials, Unaccessioned (2014072202).
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Form or Genre Terms
- Photographic prints
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)
